Sincerely,

Guy's observation skills are absolutely amazing. I notice that everyday we are together and it's something that he shows me even when we aren't together. He simply absorbs. He takes in all of the little details and that's how he sees the world. He connects all of the complexities and little bits of information to create a masterpiece. His mind works in a way that reminds me of how artists like Chuck Close or Georges Seurat see art.

This skill not only supports him and his work as a gifted writer and in his career as an attorney, but it makes him an incredible gift giver. He is the most considerate person I have ever known. He notices all of the little things that I do and say and all of the things that catch my eye. He notices the things I want sometimes even before I know that I want something. Recently, when we were at Powell's, we found the rare books room and this wonderful Annie Leibovitz book caught my attention. It not only caught my attention, but it was the only book I looked though while we were in there.

Back to Guy, I got a message from him saying that I should expect a package soon. I wondered to myself what this gift could be. At this point, time had passed and I had nearly forgotten how intrigued I was by Annie’s book. It amazes me how he could have noticed my intention on looking at only this book. Soon enough, I was picking up a significantly heavy package from outside of my apartment door. I rushed it inside, cut open the box, and there lying with the protection of bubble wrap, I found Annie Leibovitz’s, “A Photographer’s Life 1990-2005.”

Annie Leibovitz has always fascinated me. She not only is the lead photographer for the largest fashion magazine in publication (have you heard of Vogue?), but her perspective on career and life not being one life, is beautiful. In her book, Annie blends her personal photographs alongside her professional works. In Annie’s introduction she says, “I don’t have two lives. This is one life, and the personal pictures and the assignment work are all part of it.” I have always felt it silly to say that a job is just a job. It may be looked at the way one makes money, but to me it’s so much more than that. I think a person’s career molds a person’s identity much more than we even realize. It must because it is what most people spend the majority of their time doing. Someone who works full-time spends 40+ hours a week at their job. This does not include the additional hours of processing their work they completed while at home. They are breathing in their work during those hours, connecting with people associated with their job, and bringing that cloud of work-energy around with them in every aspect of life.

I found another interesting thing about going through Annie’s book, that I am not sure I would have realized had Guy not so graciously sent me this fantastic book. I had no idea that her partner was Susan Sontag. I was in shock as I have always remembered a book that I read of Susan’s way back in my freshman year of college, which was eight years ago. The book I read was titled, “Regarding the Pain of Others.” I remember vividly the perspectives Susan brings into her work about photography and she explains that it is the media and the artist who are really in control of information disseminating out into the masses. I was forever changed by this book and now I must believe that her book had some inspiration from her partner, Annie Leibovitz. What an incredible connection!

My little sister, Sentilla, just so happened to be home while I was leafing through the book and in awe of Annie’s work. Here are some images she captured of me at home.